Tufted Titmouse

Squirrels

We've been hearing owls in our neighborhood for decades. Owls are not only fun to observe, they are good predators of vermin. (Have you had any mice in your attic lately?) This has lead some neighbors to put up owl houses in their yards. To see some photos, check out the Photos section of our Yahoo! Group. (If you are not yet a member, following the link should present you with an opportunity to join.)

We had a whole family of them on Deadoak last year. It is unlikely a fox will kill a cat – the fox are about the same size – but they DO kill/eat rats, birds, and squirrels – I’ve seen one with a rat in its mouth – good fox! Like any mammal, they can carry rabies and I’ve heard they can carry fleas as well (but that was from someone who didn’t want them living under his deck).

LONA (ZIP code 78759) has the second highest population of deer in Austin, after Northwest Hills (ZIP code 78731). A city survey revealed that about 350 dead deer were collected in our ZIP code by Austin Waste Management Services between January, 2008, and November, 2010.

Though lovely to look at, to some of our neighbors, deer have become a nuisance, destroying gardens, saplings in yards, and other portions of expensive landscaping.

Deer, like all wild animals, are best left to their own devices. Deer are not pets, and feeding them in Austin is illegal. See here.

Coyotes

We have had various reports of lost pets and dead ones found in gullies, thought to be the victims of coyotes. For your pets' protection, we recommend that you keep them indoors at night.

LONA is blessed to have a variety of wild creatures to enjoy watching in our neighborhood, besides our beloved household pets. There are birds (cardinals, blue jays, owls, etc.), squirrels, and even deer, to name a few. However, there are also predators around, like buzzards, hawks, and coyotes, which can endanger our pets. Even non-predators can be dangerous if mishandled. Thus, it behooves us to be alert in how we approach all wild animals, predator and non-predator alike.